Powered watercraft



March 5, 1968 R. L. MELA POWERED WATERCRAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, 1966 I NVENTOR. RICHARD L. MELA ATTORNEYS March 5, 1968 R. 1.. MELA 3,371,646

POWERED WATERCRAFT INVENTOR. RICHARD L. MELA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,371,646 POWERED WATERCRAFT Richard L. Mela, Arlington, Mass, assiguor to The Powermite Corporation, Arlington, Mass. Filed July 27, 1966, Ser. No. 568,307 16 Claims. (Cl. 115-70) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A power unit is attached to a solid foam hull to provide a powered floatboard. The flloatboard supports a passenger who controls its speed and direction.

This invention relates to a powered recreational aquatic craft and more particularly to a motorized propellerdriven floatboard. Specifically, the invention provides a powered floatboard of remarkable low-cost construction and which is convenient to use and transport.

Prior powered recreational craft of the floatboard and like types for use by one or two persons have been relatively heavy and bulky and hence fairly diificult to transport and handle. Further, they have been constructed in a relatively complex mannermanifesting the prevalent prior attitude toward the design required for such craftand hence have been fairly costly. Consequently, these prior craft have had limited markets.

An object of the present invention, on the other hand, is to provide a powered aquatic recreational craft suited for wide consumer consumption. Corollary objects are to provide such a craft that is easy to handle and transport out of the water without any additional equipment. A further object is to provide a low cost and compact construction for such a craft, Also, it is an object to provide a recreational craft of the above character that is relatively highly buoyant.

Another object of the invention is to provide a powered aquatic floatboard wherein the power unit and the hull can readily be disassembled and reassembled. The achievement of this object makes possible low cost replacement of the hull, which is vulnerable to damage by physical abuse and collision.

A further object of the invention is to provide a powered floatboard that is safe to use. In particular, it is an object to provide such a floatboard that the user can stop easily and substantially instantaneously at any time. Also, it is an objectthat the board be fail-safe in that it is automatically stopped when the operator falls off or otherwise becomes removed from it.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a powered floatboard embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view, partly broken away, of the powered board of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-section view of the floatboard of FIGURE 1 taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed side elevation view of the power unit of the board of FIGURE 1 and depicts the orientation of the board in use; and

3,371 ,646 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 FIGURES 5 and 6 are respectively front and side views of a fail-safe switch for use with the craft of FIGURE 1.

A powered floatboard embodying the invention has a highly buoyant board-like hull suitably made of expanded polystyrene foam. A deck plate and bracket clamp a power unit that includes the motor or engine to the hull. The construction is inexpensive and easy to disassemble and reassemble for quick replacement of the hull, which has only nominal cost and is hence relatively expendable. Further, the clamped construction distributes forces that the power unit exerts on the hull over a large portion thereof, thus making it possible to select the material of the hull for buoyancy rather than strength.

Also, the power unit has a compact, low cost mounting frame designed, as is the remaining structure of the floatboard, for manufacture with a minimum of costly dies and other tooling.

Another feature of the powered floatboard according to the invention is the provision of a motor cutoff switch with which the user can substantially instantaneously disable the power unit. This is done by means of a switch control element that is loosely attached to the user and removable from the power unit to disable it.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the powered floatboard 10 has a'highly buoyant hull 12 of expanded polystyrene or other lightweight substantially rigid material. Where the hull is of expanded polystyrene or like material,- it can have a coating resistant to abuse and to chemicals. Fiberglass and a thin layer of closed cell polyethylene foam are two suitable coatings. As shown in FIGURE 4, the user typically reclines on the craft with his trunk resting on the hull and with his legs overhanging into the water. Alternatively, he can stand on the hull if constructed for such use.

A power unit indicated generally at 14 is mounted recessed in the hull in an aperture 16 through the hull between its top surface 18 and its bottom surface 20. The power unit drives a propeller 22 secured near the back end of the hull 12 to propel the floatboard.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the illustrated power unit 14 employs a small internal combustion engine 24. It has a pull staiter 26, a spark plug 28, and an air intake pipe extends from a filter 30 to the carburetor 32. The throttle control knob 34 is readily accessible to the user of the floatboard and is preferably so arranged that depressing the knob decreases the fuel-air supply to the engine. The engine 14 preferably includes a clutch mechanism that disengages the motor shaft 36 from the engine crankshaft when the engine is idling. This enables the user to stop the craft without shutting off the engine.

The motor shaft 36 (FIGURES 1 and 4) is coupled to a gear box 38 mounted behind the engine 24. An impeller 40 of a bailing pump 41 is secured on the output shaft 43 from the gear box, and beyond the pump a flexible torque coupling 42 connects the gear box shaft 43 to an intermediate shaft 44. The other end of the intermediate shaft 44 is coupled to a propeller shaft 46 that is journaled adjacent the propeller in a bearing 48 supported by a bracket 50 from the polystyrene hull 12. A cage and shield 52 shield the user from the propeller 22. The shield also supports the board when resting on the beach with the propeller and shafts free to rotate so the engine can be operated when the floatboard is resting on land.

With further reference to FIGURES 2 and 3, the engine 24, gear box 38 and the bailing pump 4-1 are secured in an enclosure 56 having a bottom panel 58, a peripheral front wall a, rear wall 601), and sidewalls 60c and 60d. A front top plate 59a and rear top plate 59b, indicated with dotted lines in FIGURE 4, may also be provided on the enclosure to block water from enter- 3 ing therein. A channel piece 62 below the center of the bottom panel 58 extends from the front of the enclosure 56 to beyond the back wall 60b thereof.

Inside the enclosure 56, near the front, is a transverse angle member '64 extending at least part way between the sidewalls 60c and 60d, FIGURE 4. It is bolted or otherwise fastened through the bottom panel 58 to the channel piece 62. A transverse channel member 66 extends part way between the enclosure sidewalls contiguous with the back wall 60b and is likewise fastened at its center to the channel piece 62.

The channel piece 62 and the two members 64 and 66 form a rigid frame for the engine 24 and other parts of the power unit 14. In particular, as shown in FIGURE 4, the engine is bolted to the angle member 64 and the gear box 38 is bolted to the forward flange of the channel member 66. Further, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the intermediate shaft 44 passes out of the enclosure 56 at the rear wall 60b through a sealing plate 68 secured to the rear flange of the channel member 66. This passage of the intermediate shaft 44 through the enclosure wall is intermediate the top and bottom surfaces of the hull 12, and the shaft extends therefrom downward, inclined toward the channel piece 62, to below the hull bottom surface 20. Adjacent its end that is coupled to the propeller shaft 46, the shaft 44 is journaled in a bearing 70 mounted on the channel piece 62.

With this construction of the channel piece 62 and angle and channel members 64 and 66, of the enclosure 56, and of the engine, gear box, and bailing pump, they form a structurally integral power unit 14 that can readily be installed in the hull 12 in a manner that will now be described.

As shown in FIGURE 3, on each side of the enclosure 56, a skirt plate 72 is riveted or otherwise secured to the enclosure sidewall file-60d. Each skirt plate extends down to below the bottom surface of the hull, where it is likewise fastened to an angle bracket 74. As shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, each angle bracket 74 bears against the bottom surface of the hull from beyond the front of the aperture 16, along the full longitudinal edge 16a of the aperture, to well beyond the back of the aperture. The skirt plates and brackets thus form a flange on the enclosure bearing against the hull bottom surface. Bolts 76 passing through the hull clamp the brackets 74 to a deck plate 78 overlying the hull upper surface all around the aperture 16.

The deck plate and two brackets 74 thus clamp the power unit 14 to the foam hull 12, distributing the stresses the power unit exerts on the hull over a relatively large region of the hull adjacent and beyond the two lateral sides of the enclosure 16. This forms a secure construction for the floatboard, even though the intrinsic strength of expanded polystyrene, and of like highly buoyant materials desired for the hull, is relatively low, and notwithstanding the weakening of the hull due to the relatively large aperture 16 in its midst.

Further, the deck plate and angle bracket construction is easily disassembled by removing the bolts 76. The deck plate 78 can then be lifted off the hull and the hull itself lifted from the power unit after the propeller bracket and cage 52 are released from the rear portion of the hull. As a result, the hull, which is a relatively nominal cost item that is subject to damage during use, can readily and quickly be replaced, thereby greatly extending the life of the floatboard without requiring the extensive hull maintenance other craft require. In fact, a vigorous user of the floatboard may wish to keep a new hull on hand, for it can easily be installed within a few minutes at the beach.

The illustrated construction also isolates engine vibration from the hull and hence extends the life of the floatboard. In particular, when the transverse members 64 and 66 do not engage the enclosure sidewalls, the only connection between the engine 24 and gear box 38 and J the hull 12 is the enclosure bottom panel 58. However, the panel is preferably fairly flexible and hence transmits little engine vibration to the hull.

Continuing now with reference to FIGURES 2 and 3, with the illustrated floatboard 10, the recess formed by aperture 16 is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis of the hull 12 so that the enclosure 56, which has planar rectangular peripheral walls and a planar rectangular bottom panel, is tilted with the back end seated lower in the aperture. That is, the back end of the bottom panel is further below the top surface 18 of the hull than the front end.

Further, the bottom of the rear peripheral wall 60b is substantially level with the bottom surface 20 of the hull, whereas the top edge of the wall 60b extends for a substantial distance, for example one or two inches, above the top surface of the deck plate. The front peripheral Wall 68a of the enclosure extends above the deck plate for an even greater distance and the side peripheral walls of the enclosure extend above the deck plate for a corresponding distance as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. These upwardly protruding portions of the enclosure peripheral walls form a splash guard that, together with whatever top plates 59 (FIGURE 2) are provided, blocks water that splashes and washes over the top of the board from spilling into the interior of the enclosure. Whatever water that does enter the enclosure flows to the sump region at the back of the enclosure where it is expelled by the pump 41.

As shown in FIGURE 1, to stop the engine 24, a cord 80 having a loop at one end is connected at the other end to a switch 84 suitably mounted on the engine. The switch is arranged to short circuit the engine ignition circuit to the engine housing 86, thereby stopping the engine, when the user pulls the cord. More particularly, the engine 24 has a conventional electrical ignition circuit powered by a magneto having a low voltage primary winding in series with a circuit breaker. A high voltage secondary winding is coupled with the primary winding and connected to the spark plug 28.

The switch 84, shown in detail in FIGURES 5 and 6, comprises a resilient conductive contact 88 on an insulating block 90. One end of the contact 88 is secured together with the block 90 to the engine housing 86 by a conductive screw that grounds the contact to the housing. The block 90 also carries a terminal bolt 102 disposed under the free end of the contact 88 and connected by an insulated conductor 104 to the low voltage primary winding on the magento.

The switch 84 is normally closed with the contact 88 resiliently bearing against the terminal bolt 102, thereby shorting the ignition circuit to the engine housing. This shorts the voltage from the magneto primary winding to the housing so that the spark plug is not energized and therefore the engine is inoperative.

However, as also shown in FIGURE 6, the switch includes an insulating interrupter element 106 that is secured to the cord 80 and fits between the free end of the contact 88 and the terminal bolt 102, holding the switch open and isolating the ignition circuit from the engine housing. The interrupter element preferably has a detent that receives a mating bend or protrusion in the contact 88 to hold the interrupter element in place in the switch against such forces as the vibration of the running engine and the like. However, as shown with dashed lines in FIG- URE 5, tension on the cord 80 (directed along the arrow 108), readily dislodges the interrupter element 106 from the switch 84. The contact 88 then closes against the terminal bolt 102, which immediately stops the engine 24.

When the user of the aquatic craft 10 has the cord 80 looped around his wrist, for example, he can thus easily stop the craft at any time. And, in the event he falls off the floatboard, he will automatically disengage the interrupter element from the switch so that the board will come to a stop a short distance from where he fell off.

Moreover, since the cord 80 and interrupter element 106 are completely disengagea'ble from the craft, the user can fall free of the craft. As soon as he replaces the interrupter element in the switch 84, he can restart the engine and resume his sport; it is seldom necessary to dry it off.

In summary, the powered floatboard described above represents a fairly unique departure from prior constructions for powered aquatic craft. It is simply constructed of generally readily available and light weight parts. Further, it is remarkably compact, light weight and buoyant. In fact, a powered floatboard constructed in the manner described above is only four feet long and weighs only nine pounds. Yet, it can carry an adult at speeds faster than racing swimmers. Moreover, the construction of the craft is so inexpensive that it can be marketed at very low price.

Also, the construction described above disposes the engine and gearbox of the floatboard, which are the the heaviest parts, fairly low on the hull, thereby enhancing the compactness and appearance of the craft and ensuring the user of unobstructed visibility. This is achieved at a low cost and with minimal protrusions from the bottom of the hull.

Further,-unlike many other aquatic craft that require considerable care and upkeep, the present craft requires relatively little maintenance; the buoyant board can be replaced with a new one for a truly nominal sum in a matter of minutes.

Moreover, the craft is easy to operate, being steered with body movements, and it otfers utmost safety to the user.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A powered aquatic craft comprising:

(A) a fioatboard-like buoyant hull having 1) substantially opposed top and bottom surfaces,

(2) means forming a recess therein extending from said top surface toward said bottom surface, and

(3) first and second substantially opposed interior wall portions defining at least a portion of said recess,

(B) plate means overlying at least a portion of said top surface adjacent said interior wall portions of saidhull,

(C) motor means 1) arranged to propel said craft in water, and

(2) disposed in said recess,

(D) first and second elongated bracket means, each of which v (l) bears against said bottom surface of said hull adjacent one of said wall portions thereof and opposite said plate means,

(2) is secured to said motor means to from a structurally integral power unit therewith, and

(E) means clamping said brackets means and said plate means together with said hull sandwiched therebetween, whereby forces exerted by'said power unit are distributed over the portion of said hull proximal to said interior wall portions thereof.

2. A powered aquatic craft according to claim 1 wherein a (A) said hull has a longitudinal axis extending between front and back ends thereof,

(B) said first and second interior wall portions extend substantially longitudinal with the longitudinal axis of said hull,

(C) said plate means longitudinally extends beyond the front and back ends of said recess,

(D) said bracket means longitudinally extend along the hull bottom surface beyond the front and back ends of said recess opposite said deck plate means, whereby said plate means and said bracket means bear against said hull top and bottom surface respectively from forward of said recess to beyond the back of said recess.

3. An aquatic craft according to claim 1 wherein (A) said clamp means is readily removable and replaceable, and

(B) said plate means and said hull are so arranged that when said clamp means is removed, said plate means and hull can be freely removed from said power unit.

4. An aquatic craft according to claim 1 wherein said hull is made of a closed-cell, substantially rigid foam material.

5. A powered aquatic craft comprising:

(A) a floatboard-like buoyant hull having (1) substantially opposed top and bottom surfaces,

(2) means forming an aperture therethrough between said surfaces, and

(3) first and second substantially opposed interior wall portions defining at least a portion of said aperture,

(B) plate means overlying at least a portion of said top surface adjacent said interior wall portions of said hull,

(C) enclosure means (1) having a bottom panel secured to upstanding peripheral Walls and (2) fitting within said aperture with said peripheral walls facing the sides of said aperture and the underside of said bottom panel facing in the same direction as the bottom surface of said hull,

(3) having first and second flange means each of which bears against said bottom surface of said hull adjacent one of said wall portions thereof and opposite said plate means,

(D) motor means (1) arranged to propel said craft in water, and

(2) secured in said enclosure means and (E) means clamping said flange means and said plate means together with said hull sandwiched therebetween, thereby forces exerted by said motor means are distributed over the portion of said hull proximal to said interior wall portions thereof.

6. An aquatic vehicle according to claim 5 wherein (A) said hull is elongated between front and back ends thereof and (B) said enclosure means is disposed in said aperture oriented at a tilt relative to said top and bottom surfaces of said hull with the end of said bottom panel closest to the back end of said hull further removed from said top surface than the other end of said bottom panel.

7. An aquatic craftaccording to claim 5 (A) wherein said en'closuremeans is so disposed in said aperture that at least part of the bottom panel thereof isintermediate said top and bottom surfaces of said hull, and

(B) each flange means is formed with an elongated bracket bearing against said hull bottom surface, and

(C) further comprising first and second skirt plates extending between and secured to said peripheral walls of said enclosure and said first and second brackets respectively. 8. An aquatic craft according to claim wherein (A) said enclosure means has a non-watertight top opposite said bottom panel, and (B) said peripheral walls of said enclosure means extend above said plate means and said hull top surface and form a shield that blocks water from spilling into the interior of said enclosure means. 9. A powered aquatic craft comprising: (A) a floatboard-like buoyant hull (1) having substantially opposed top and bottom surfaces, (2) having means forming an aperture therethrough between said top and bottom surfaces, (B) enclosure means (1) having a bottom panel secured to upstanding peripheral walls and (2) disposed within said aperture with said peripheral walls facing the sides of said aperture and with the underside of said bottom panel facing in substantially the same direction as said bottom surface of said hull, (C) means securing said enclosure means to said hull, (D) a longitudinal beam member extending rearward from said bottom panel (E) motor means (1) having a drive shaft, (2) operative to rotate said drive shaft thereon for propelling said craft in water, (3) disposed in said enclosure means and fastened to said beam member, and (4) arranged with said shaft (a) passing through said enclosure, and (b) extending rearward from said aperture,

and (F) bearing means secured to said longitudinal beam member and journaled with said shaft. 10. An aquatic craft according to claim 9 wherein (A) said longitudinal beam member is secured to the underside of said bottom panel and extends along at least a portion of the length thereof, and substantially parallel to said bottom panel (B) a cross beam member is disposed within said enclosure means (1) extending at least part way between opposed peripheral walls thereof and transversely to said longitudinal beam member, and (2) secured through said bottom panel to said longitudinal beam member and secured to said motor means, and (C) said shaft extends from said enclosure means to said bearing means oriented at a converging angle with said longitudinal beam member. 11. An aquatic craft according to claim 9 further comprising (A) deck plate means overlying said top surface of said hull around the periphery of said aperture, (B) first and second elongated brackets (1) bearing against the bottom surface of said hull along substantially opposed sides of said aperture and opposite said deck plate means for a distance greater than the distance therealong of said aperture so as to extend beyond the ends of said aperture, and (2) forming a structurally integral power unit with said motor means and said enclosure means and said beam members, and (C) means clamping said brackets and said deck plate means together with said hull sandwiched therebetween. 12. A powered aquatic craft comprising (A) a hull, (B) a passage extending from the top to the bottom of said hull,

(C) motor means arranged to propel said craft through water,

(1) said motor means having (a) a conductive housing and (b) an electrical operating circuit insulated from said housing, (D) means for supporting said motor means in said passage, said supporting means including (1) members engaging over the top and bottom surfaces of said hull, and

(2) means for drawing said members together so as to clamp said hull therebetween,

(E) electrical switch means (1) in circuit between said operating circuit and said housing,

(2) normally closed to form a high conductivity path from said circuit to said housing and thereby render said motor means inoperative,

(3) having an interrupter element seated in said switch means to maintain the switch open and isolate said operating circuit from said housing,

(4) said interrupter element being readily removable from said seated condition and replaceable therein,

(5) said interrupter element being detached from said switch means when removed therefrom, and

(F) tension transmitting means secured at one end to said interrupter element and arranged to remove it from said seated condition when placed under tension.

13. An aquatic craft according to claim 12 wherein (A) said motor means includes an internal combustion engine having an electrical ignition circuit comprising an electrical source, voltage step-up means and spark plug means, and

(B) said switch is connected in said ignition circuit intermediate said source and said step-up means.

14. An aquatic craft according to claim 12 wherein said tension-transmitting means is a cord having means at the end thereof removed from said interrupter element for connection to a user of said craft.

15. An aquatic vehicle according to claim 12 (A) wherein said switch means comprises (1) first and second terminal means, one of which is connected to said operating circuit and the other of which is connected to said housing,

(2) a contact secured to said first terminal means and resiliently urged into engagement with said second terminal means, and

(B) said interrupter element fits between said contact and said second terminal to maintain said switch means in said open condition.

16. A powered aquatic craft comprising:

(A) a hull (B) a passage extending from the top to the bottom of said hull,

(C) motor means arranged to propel said craft through water,

(1) said motor means having (a) a conductive housing and (b) an electrical operating circuit insulated from said housing,

(D) means for supporting said motor means in said passage, said supporting means including (1) members engaging over the top and bottom surfaces of said hull, and

(2) means for drawing said members together so as to clamp said hull therebetween,

(E) electrical switch means (1) in circuit between said operating circuit and said housing,

(2) normally closed to form a high conductivity path from Sa d circuit to said housing and 9 10 thereby render said motor means inoperative, said second condition when a user connected there (3) having control means operative in a first conwith becomes removed from said craft.

dition to maintain the switch means open and to thereby isolate said operating circuit from said References Cited housing, 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS (4) said control means being readily movable to a second condition where said switch means as- 3262413 7/1966 Douglas et 11570 sumes said normally closed condition, and (F) user-operated means connected with said control MILTON BUCHLER Pnmary Examiner means and arranged to place said control means in 10 T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

